Bengals Coaches Talk Building Walls and Addressing Imposters as Criticism Grows with Mounting Losses

CINCINNATI – One day after his offense was shut out for the first time in his seven seasons at the helm, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he’s aware the criticism is growing louder. And angrier.

Because how could it not?

But Taylor said he doesn’t hear it or spend a sliver of time concerning himself with how he’s viewed.

“That has no bearing on me whatsoever,” Taylor said. “There's a brick wall surrounding me and isolating me from any feelings people have about me or their views on me. I can't allow that to dictate how I operate.

“And so, truthfully, that doesn't affect me in any way, shape or form,” Taylor continued. “I just keep doing my job to the best of my abilities. And this year certainly hasn't been good enough with the record we're at right now. I get that. But I'm just going to keep doing everything I can to get this team ready to play on Sunday.”

The biggest question is whether he will be afforded the opportunity to get the team ready to play in 2026.

That decision will be made by one man and one man alone, Bengals owner and president Mike Brown.

And it will not be made a second earlier than Monday, Jan. 5, the day after the Bengals wrap the season against the Cleveland Browns.

Will they be 7-10, 4-13 or somewhere in between?

Will 7-10 earn Taylor the right to return for an eighth season?

Will 4-13 be an automatic pink slip?

Again, only Brown can say with certainty, and he might even know the answer sitting in his corner office 21 days before judgment day.

Taylor, on the other hand, is not waiting until the season is finished to self-evaluate.

“I do that every week. Honestly, since the early part of the season, I try to reflect on every week and every game, every schedule on things I would change, things I'd do differently, things I've learned from,” he said. “There's more big picture things after the season that you'll focus on with everybody. But we're not there yet.”

It’s not just Taylor who is dealing with the uncertainty of the future and the immediacy of deadening the din of criticism.

Every member of the coaching staff understands they could be looking for new jobs and homes for their families in a few months.

Understanding that reality is one thing. Focusing on it is something else. Something pointless.

Insulating from it is the only choice.

“You know what comes with the territory with this job,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “There's times when you're a genius, and everything you touch turns to gold. And then there's times where you're an idiot, and you have no idea what you're doing. If you listen to either of those, they're both wrong. You just put your head down and forge ahead.”

Defensive coordinator Al Golden is in a similar position as Taylor as the target of frustration and vitriol given how poorly his unit has played this season.

Golden has been in Taylor’s exact position in the past as a head coach for an underperforming University of Miami team a decade ago when the fan base that wanted him gone.

He understands the importances of isolation and building walls.

“You get callous to it (criticism),” he said. “You get to a point where you don’t take it personal. You try to be professional. I get it. Third and 7, they scored a touchdown. I would be critical, too. And if I was a fan, I’d be angry, too.

“But Zac is consistently consistent,” Golden added. “He’s the same guy every day. He truly cares about the staff, the culture, the players. And the players respond to that. He’s as good as anybody at blocking out the noise.”

Golden finished his point with a literary reference, quoting Rudyard Kipling.

“He’s been around long enough, he’ll tell you he’s seen both sides of the spectrum,” Golden said. “And you’ve got to treat both of those imposters the same.

“I don’t mean to quote famous poets, but it’s the truth.”

The two imposters Kipling references in the poem are Triumph and Disaster.

They are from the poem, “If.”

And ironically, “if” is the biggest question connecting Taylor, this coaching staff and the future of the Bengals, beginning in 2026.